


Rubies and Sapphires: The Ruby Heart

by Dragonfire2lm



Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29175633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonfire2lm/pseuds/Dragonfire2lm
Summary: "Cadmean" was a world renowned thief, wanted in several kingdoms for her acts. In the middle of stealing the famous Star Sapphire, she runs into the infamous Toppat Clan, a band of rogue mages.Unbeknownst to her, this fateful encounter marks the beginning of a new chapter in her life.
Relationships: Reginald Copperbottom & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Fox Tails

**Author's Note:**

> I started this to de-stress. Originally it was going to have one chapter, but I felt like the next segment would work better as it's own chapter, and would allow me to really focus on the character interactions and story.
> 
> To be fair, I had the idea for a fantasy AU and decided to do something with it because I was high strung and writing this out was relaxing. And the sooner I get used to this website, the better.
> 
> Action scenes are not my strong suit.

The ornate white castle in the center of the bustling village was like a beacon to her as she walked through the front gate and flashed her identification to the armoured guards standing out front.

She flicked her hair, long orange tresses tied back in a loose ponytail via a blue ribbon and looked up the clocktower within sight of the town square, adjusting her spectacles to counter the harsh glare of the midday sun.

A breeze fluttered her long white robe as she strolled down the bricked road towards the middle of town. The buildings were as white and pristine as the castle, with shopfronts that had colourful signs, houses with beautiful and intricate stained-glass windows caught the eye, and flowers of every kind and colour imaginable growing in neat little flowerbeds lining the street.

As she grew closer to the center of town, the noise of the open market grew in volume, drowning the rhythmic beat of her footsteps, and a prelude to the work that lay ahead of her. Not that she minded of course, as much as the bright sunlight, colourful garments and noise was a welcome sight after spending so long on the road, it was already an annoyance to the normally reclusive woman.

She could already feel a headache rapidly taking a hold of her right temple as she ducked into the nearest tavern.

The building, lit by orbs of mage light that floated near the ceiling, all dark wood and invitingly quiet, was a welcome respite. There was a bar at the far end of the room. Behind it lay a staircase that led to the upper floor of the building.

She took a seat at one of the empty tables dotted around the room and pulled out a piece of parchment from her robes. It was a flyer advertising the ruler of this region would open sections of his home to the public to host a ball.

She smirked.

She knew full well the ruler in question, Lord Galeforce, had been having trouble with an ancient order of mages that stole magical artefacts, and this ball was his attempt to catch them red-handed by having the Star Sapphire and Radiant Ruby on display for the event, two of the realms most valued magical jewels.

She stowed the flyer away and called a barmaid over to order some roast beast. As she waited, she heard a couple of people take the empty table behind her.

"Terrence is gettin’ ballsy, gunnin’ after Gale.” One man said gruffly, in a Terralian accent.

His partner sighed, replying wearily. “I’ve tried talking to him, he wants those jewels even if it kills us.”

The gruff man snorted “Yeah, us, not him… You should jus’ let me put an arrow in his head Reg.”

“Absolutely not!” Reg said, a little too loudly.

“All I’m sayin’ is it’ll be nice an’ quick, no one will miss him.”

“And who will lead the clan?”

“You could.”

“Me?” Reg squeaked. “Don’t be ridiculous Wright…”

“You got the brains for it.”

“And nothing else.” Reg replied sourly. “I’m not strong like Terrence is, the moment I try to take control I’ll be thrown out of the fortress.”

Wright hummed. “Alrigh’ then, you be the King, I’ll be yer Champion.”

“Wright… I appreciate the sentiment, but now isn’t the best time, nor place to discuss this.” Reg sighed.

“Fair point,” Wright conceded, and the conversation changed topic. “Looking forward to seeing the ruby tonight?”

“Of course, it has been quite some time since I last laid eyes on it.”

Her eavesdropping was interrupted by the arrival of her food. The sight of freshly cooked meat made her mouth water as she tore into her meal.

She paused as the sound of her robes shuffling. With a calm breath and her fork sticking out of her mouth, she forced her tail, concealed beneath her clothing, to stop moving.

The two men behind her continued a far more mundane conversation as she ate, ordering drinks for themselves, and by the time she had scarfed down the last shreds of meat, half an hour later, they had paid their tab and left.

I’d better be careful tonight, don’t want to step on their toes. She thought as she asked for directions to nearest inn.

Hours later and she was walking into the lavish ballroom, a long flowing blue robe draped across her form, and wearing white slippers that muffled the sound of her footsteps against the polished floor. Her true self concealed under a mountain of wards tightly coiled around her body, unseen to the untrained eye of the average person.

The room was massive, with the same white walls as the rest of the castle, long wooden tables laden with food were placed at the edges of the room as a live orchestra played music quietly on a raised dais near the back of the room.

In the middle of the ballroom, held in a glass display cases, were a pair of jewels. She walked over to them, mindful of the soldiers in dress uniform that stood guard on either side.

Resting on a velvet cushion was a ruby as red as blood. It gave off its own light, pulsing crimson in a steady rhythm. And while that glow had initially got her attention, it was what lay beside it that truly drew her eye.

The four-point sapphire, flecked with white dots, looks as if the night sky had been taken and compressed into a jewel. She felt as if she could stare at it forever, that it held the secrets of the universe.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” A voice asked.

She startled, snapping around on her heel to see a man in his late twenties with a curled brown moustache and dressed in an elegant black suit and red bowtie.

His red eyes twinkled in amusement as she righted herself. “I didn’t mean to give you a scare, I was merely commenting on the rare sight his Lordship has graced us with this night.”

She recognized the voice, one of the men from the bar. She shrugged. “It’s fine, happens enough as it is with a bung eye an’ all.” She said, gesturing at her left eye, unfocused, and half closed.

“Terralian?” he asked, and she nodded. “A bit far from home, aren’t you?”

“I do a lot of travelling,” She answered, turned to face him, and paused. “You know, not many people can pin down my accent, most folks I’ve met think Terralia is a myth…”

He chuckled. “As good as the academy’s are, world history isn’t a mandatory subject outside of the diplomacy courses,” he held out a gloved hand. “Reginald Copperbottom, Noble of the House of Crimson Scales.”

Now that was a title that gave her pause. “The Dragon Slayers?”

“The very same,” he confirmed. “And you?”

"Lucina Grey of the Elder Grove Alliance,” She said, the alias falling easily off her tongue as they shook hands. As an afterthought she added. “Illusion specialist.”

Reginald politely offered his arm, an invitation to take the discussion elsewhere. She however, breezed past him and motioned for him to follow as she led them over to an empty table out on the rather spacious balcony.

“Not one for polite conversation I take it?” he asked, once more amused by her antics.

She gave him a flat look, one that matched the tone of her voice as they sat down. “I don’t exactly ascribe to the notion I have to act a certain way just because others expect it of me. My respect should suffice, shouldn’t it?”

“Indeed, it should,” he agreed and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together. “Are you familiar with legends around those gems?”

“Aside from the fact the Star Sapphire is said to grant wishes, not really,” She admitted, leaning back in her chair. “Why, you know a few tales?”

“I’m well versed in the subject,” he answered proudly. “For example, the Radiant Ruby was said to have been the heart of one of the Dragon Princes of old, supposedly the Prince of Honor.”

“I know a fair bit about dragons,” she said. “If that ruby is a dragon heart, that means the dragon’s still out there.”

“Dragons don’t die,” she added, and Reginald nodded. “They hide until they can retrieve their heart. ‘Course, most never do, so they make do, and live their lives as best they can.”

Reginald’s eyebrow flew up into his hair. “It almost sounds like you’ve met some.”

“I travel,” She offered by way of explanation. “I’ve met a few, nice people.”

He smirked. “I daresay very few people are as accepting as you,” his smile became something sly. “Why don’t we cut to the chase, hm? Which jewel are you after? _Cadmean_.”

The silence offered by the balcony was suddenly deafening.

“Ah… Right, okay…” she said as he relished her floundering. “How?”

“Your eyes,” he answered coolly. “As slippery as you are Lady Cadmean, there is one trait that always matches your disguises, the blindness in your left eye. You cannot hide a deformity like that… I’m surprised the guards haven’t caught on.”

She stiffened, sitting rigid in her seat, as she waited to see what he would do and ready to flee.

Panic. Raw, jarring panic set her on alert. “You can see through my wards,” She said evenly, sounding far calmer than she felt. Resigned, she replied. “The Star Sapphire. I’m here for the sapphire.”

Some tension left the man’s shoulders, he leaned back in his seat, and rested his hands in his lap. “Good…”

He sounded relieved. Something wasn’t adding up, he clearly was here to cause trouble of some sort yet appeared to be concerned about the actions of a mere thief.

“Why?” she asked once the initial shock wore off. “Why do you care anyway?”

“Because I’m here for the ruby,” he explained. “And if I am to see the sunrise tomorrow, I need to get that ruby.”

A frown adorned her face. “Is someone threatenin’ you?”

“Ah, no no, nothing of the sort!” Reginald hastily denied, slowly wilting under her firm gaze. “…Yes, unfortunately.”

“My liege wants both jewels before the night is over, or else my friend and I are out on the streets... or dead, whichever happens first.” He explained.

“You got a plan?”

He blinked. “You want to help?”

“We’re after the same thing yeah? If your boss wants both, I can just find something else for my collection…” she trailed off at the stunned look of wonderment on his face. “What?”

He beamed. “You have no idea how long it’s been since I last met someone so… _blasé_ , it’s frankly quite amazing.”

She shrugged. “If you say so.”

He cleared his throat. “Now then, here’s what I’ve managed to put together…”

* * *

Sometime later they returned to the ballroom, she took her position leaning up against the wall with the gemstones in full view. She watched Reginald walk over to man with a bushy orange moustache and green eyes, quietly converse with him for a moment, and gestured at her.

She gave the men a polite nod.

She moved away from the wall as the other two parted ways, and with a discrete signal from Reginald, it began.

Smoke bombs hidden on the ceiling, detonated, raining black, glittering smoke onto the guests. The familiar sound of people screaming and running in terror filled her ears as she expertly weaved through the crowd.

The din of panicked people was quickly drowned out by the thunderous noise of countless guards storming the room.

“Surround the gems! I want those Toppats caught!” a voice barked, Lord Galeforce, she assumed.

She made it to the glass case just as the smoke cleared. She pressed a fingertip on against the glass, a thin blade of magic materializing around the digit and cleanly slicing through the glass.

With one fluid motion, she had cut a hole in the case. Grabbing the two jewels, she froze as the clattering of guards stopped just behind her and the sharp ends of several spears were pressed into her back.

“Well, well, we were hoping for a Toppat, but to catch the infamous Cadmean Vixen instead? Looks like your luck just ran out.”

She smirked.

“Not this time.” She said calmly as she wreathed herself in magic, blinding the gathered soldiers in the flash of light it created, and using the confusion to head to the balcony.

Once outside, her form shifted, her body blurring, clothes disappeared into grey wisps of magic as a rather large fox stood where the woman had once been. She glanced back to see the guards scrambling to find her and leapt up onto the balcony railing.

With a leap she jumped up onto the windowsill below her and with practiced ease, scaled her way down the exterior of the castle. In minutes she was hiding in a bush, scanning the fleeing crowd that poured out of the Castle gate for any sign of her cohorts.

 _There_.

She spotted them leaving, none the worse for wear, and she stuck to bushes, alleys, and the darkness of side streets as she tailed them to the rendezvous point outside of the town walls.

They stopped by a river, near a boat tied to a rock by the riverbank. She shifted back onto her human form and walked over to them. As soon as she did, she had the business end of a sword in her face. It was the man she had seen Reginald talking to earlier.

“You ‘ave them?” he asked.

She pulled the ruby and the sapphire out of her robe and held them out to him. Reginald sidled up to the other male, eyes locked onto the ruby.

“Finally… after all these years…” he murmured, picking up the ruby delicately as his companion grabbed the sapphire and prodded the woman with the tip of his blade.

“You’re coming with us.” He stated as Reginald got into the boat, the Radiant Ruby clasped tight in his gloved hands.

For her part, she shrugged and clambered into the small watercraft.

“Wright, show her some respect, she’s risked quite a lot by working with the likes of us.” Reginald stated, voice authoritative.

“I’ll show her some respect when we’re sure she won’t turn tail on us.” Wright scoffed as he joined them in the boat and cut the rope tying the vessel to shore. A blast of fire magic from Reginald burned the remains of the rope to ash and hid any trace of their getaway.

She remained unfazed despite the accusation; it wasn’t anything new in her line of work.

“So, now what?” she asked Reginald.

He grinned at her, mischief dancing in his eyes. “I’ll introduce you to our leader, The Toppat King, and have you join our ranks. You have the talent for it.”

“Reg.” Wright warned.

“She could have taken the gems and ran off to who knows where, and yet she honored our agreement,” Reginald pointed out as they left the town behind them. “The Cadmean Vixen is wanted in three kingdoms for vigilantism, theft, and unlawful release of slaves.”

“S’not your call though, it’s up to the King.” Wright said and a shadow passed overhead.

“I’m aware,” Reginald replied and looked over at the woman. “If you’re not accepted, be ready to run.”

“Nothing new there then.” She commented as she looked at the massive red fortress that loomed overhead and the pair of ropes that had been thrown down for them.

She offered Reginald a small smile. “Thanks for trusting me though, been a while since I’ve had that luxury.”

“Of course, Er, what _is_ your name?” he asked as they started climbing, Wright bringing up the rear.

“I don’t have one,” she replied and elaborated at his confusion. “I got kicked out of my pack, a Furhide with no pack is a Furhide with no name. Most people just call me Red.”

“It’s very nice to meet you Red, hopefully Terrence shares the sentiment.”

“Yeah.” She replied.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.


	2. Spells and Swords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red's situation, and the clans plans, become all the more obvious after meeting The Toppat King, Terrence Suave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been sleeping well, but I was able to get this done, which I'm pleased about. After planning out what I still need to do, I decided to make this fic a bit longer than the planned 3 chapters.
> 
> This chapter is admittedly shorter than I liked but I hope you enjoy and feel free to comment.

Beyond the red brick walls lay a formidable castle with towering spires, banners displayed the Clan Crest, a dragon coiled around a top hat, and Red was forced at sword point down the dirt path. The courtyard, with dead or dying plants in the neglected flowerbeds, was empty.

Were it not for the few scattered, top hat wearing people she saw looking at her curiously, _warily_ from with the relative safety of the castle’s front gate, she would assume the place was abandoned. But that was far from the truth, the castle interior a maze of winding halls, within which the members of the infamous clan went about their business.

There was something about the place, an oppressive air that the inhabitants couldn’t shake that made her tail bristle. It set her on edge.

With Reginald in front of her and Wright behind her, sword threateningly pointed at her back, she was escorted through a pair of doors and into a large room.

“Your Majesty, we return with good news.” Reginald said smoothly, with added flourish as the trio halted before a round table.

The table was old, with a large, polished crystal inlaid in the middle of it, and several chairs placed evenly around the circumference. Seated on the black and gold throne at the head of the table, was a man wearing a black top hat with a crown in the shape of a dragon with its wings outspread.

“Good news eh?” he drawled, adjusting his red cape as he sneered at the sight of the Red. “Who’s she?”

“May I introduce The Cadmean Vixen, she assisted us in retrieving the jewels without issue.”

That caught the ruler’s attention, he swiftly rose from his seat, walking over as the two men presented the stolen gems.

“And let me guess? You think she should join the clan…”

“Her skills are indisputable-” Reginald said.

The clan ruler scoffed, snatching the ruby from him. He smirked as he inspected it. “Good job Reggie, and here I thought you were only good for scribe work.”

He eyed the ruby, a crooked grin splitting his face. “Yeah, we can do some real damage with this…”

“King Terrence?” Reginald asked and the other man snapped his gaze over to his subordinate.

The king gave Red a glance, looking her up and down. “You look human…”

“She’s a furhide.” Wright interjected.

“ _Tch_ , well Reggie, since you want her in the clan, she’s your responsibility,” Terrence ordered as he pocketed the ruby. “Take the Star Sapphire to the vault and give the furball a run-down of the joint... Oh and due to the shortage of rooms, she’ll be staying in the stables. I’m not wasting space on a stray.”

With his orders given, King Terrence turned on his heel and left the room with purpose, cape swishing behind him.

She heard Wright sheathe his sword.

“Well, it could have gone worse.” Reginald stated.

Wright snorted as Red glanced between the two of them. This, admittedly, was uncharted territory for her. She had spent how knows how long working by herself, living day-to-day, and relishing the few brief moments of having food readily available and a roof over her head, that suddenly being thrust into this group of magic users was daunting.

Wright handed the Star Sapphire over to Reginald. “You head to the vault, I’ll handle the girl.”

The stables were as empty as the courtyard. The building itself was sturdy despite the minor signs of disrepair she could see on her initial inspection. Red had been left to her own devices after Wright had given a no-nonsense, brief tour of the fortress. Nothing more than showing her where the mess hall and baths were located before leading her to the stables.

“Reginald will meet you in the mess hall tomorrow, don’t keep him waiting.” Wright had warned her.

The place felt like a ghost town. Like something stripped of all that grandeur and life, leaving it a hollowed-out husk while the people simply made do.

The best she could manage in the space she had been given was finding a few tattered blankets in a chest and making a rudimentary nest in the loft.

As the first light of dawn peaked through gaps in the roof, she laid down on her makeshift bed, wide awake and alert for any signs of danger. She filled the oppressive silence not with sound, but with thoughts.

Tales of the Toppat Clan, _legends_ , reached even her during her travels. As much as she would like to hope that maybe she had finally found somewhere to call home, the reality of her situation was impossible to ignore.

Another hells damned life under the heel of another master. Bitterly, she mused that maybe that was what she should get for being a bleeding heart and sticking her nose in someone else’s business. She knew she was being dramatic of course, but it mattered little when she had nothing but her own thoughts for company for so long.

She knew it was going to be an uphill battle, but it wasn’t in her nature to just turn tail on people without reason and the Toppats had yet to do something to betray her trust.

So here she was, trying to concoct a scheme to turn her situation into something that would benefit everyone.

* * *

“We’re going to rob Galeforce blind!” Terrence announced to the Toppats that sat around the table. Red herself stood behind Reginald, watching the meeting unfold.

“See we got ourselves the Radiant Ruby,” the king said, showing off the jewel in question. “With this beauty we can ensnare a dragon and with a dragon on our side, no one will be able to stop us!” he grinned, an unnatural, twisted look on his face. “Just picture it, with a dragon at my beck and call we could go anywhere and steal anything. ‘Course, we gotta get one first.”

His words made her stomach drop, disgust rolled in her stomach, and she did her best to keep a straight face as he continued.

“Now, we all know dragons love gold, and we’ll need a small fortune to lure it into the trap. So, we’re going to sweep across the land, bust through every one of Gale’s strongholds, villages, you name it, and take as much as we can carry.”

A tense silence fell around the table.

“We’ll be in sight of our first target in an hour, pick your teammates and party up.” Terrence ordered and the room became a hive of activity as people got up from their seats and left to make their preparations.

She fell in step behind Reginald and Wright.

“We’re going to capture the dragon?” she asked.

“If Terrence wants us to, then that’s what we’ll do,” Reginald replied, resigned. “We have little say in the matter.”

“Once you pass your initiation, you take the oath, and The King casts the Binding Spell that makes you a permanent member of the clan,” Wright explained as they turned down a corridor. “Terrence _rewrote_ it when he became king, an’ there’s nothin’ we can do about it.”

“Almost nothing…” Reginald said quietly. “If I just had the ruby…”

The vixen blinked. She could help him again, a few weeks to memorize the layout of the place, give off the impression that she was harmless, unimportant and build up a reputation in the clan…

Yes, she could steal the ruby in a month if she had the time and resources. She thought about leaving but judging from what little she’d put together from their first conversation, and the revelation of the binding spell, what little morality she had wouldn’t let her stand by and ignore this.

“I can get you the ruby.” She spoke up.

The two men looked back at her in surprise.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Terrence will make an example out of you if you so much as try and _that_ is assuming, he doesn’t just kill you.” Reginald said.

“You’re not under the spell yet girl, why don’ you get off this rock an’ leave this to us?” Wright asked with raised eyebrow. “This is Toppat business.”

She stared back them defiantly. “Because I know what it’s like, you become so used to having no say in anything, to waiting for the next order, for the next chance to be _useful_ , that it becomes normal, acceptable even… To the point that you don’t know what to do with yourself once you finally found freedom.”

“I spent five… six years at The Wall,” she divulged, powering through the well of emotions and hazy memories the admission bought forth. “They keep furhides as guards, treat them no better than actual dogs, I needed the coin and it seemed like a good offer at the time. I only got out six months ago.”

“And since then, you’ve made a name for yourself as a thief.” Reginald summarized, the shock morphing into understanding. He shared a look with Wright.

Something seemed to pass between them, a fire had been lit as the two men moved to walk beside her.

“We’ll meet in the stables tonight after the raid and discuss this further.” Reginald stated.

She nodded and joined them as they headed to the foundry to make their preparations.

* * *

Hours later, Red’s head was spinning, she struggled to fight against the light-headedness as the sounds of combat roared around her. She was in her fox form, hiding in a house. She’d been separated from the Toppats as soon as the fight began, the guards had been organised, a cohesive unit that had the slap-dash tactics of the mages outmatched in minutes. She had taken refuge in the shadows, slinking into houses and storing any valuables she could find in the magical pocket realm in her tail.

She’d been unlucky enough to watch as one of the Toppats, an archer with an enchanted bow, took the sharp end of a blade to the face. Red had been forced to hide in a house because the sight had made her fee like she was going to faint. As she waited for the dizziness to subside, something crashed through the back door.

She stumbled over to hide beneath a table as someone shambled into the room. Wright, unsteady on his feet, walked in with Reginald lobbing balls of fire from his hands behind him to cover their escape.

Wright sat down on the nearest available chair. Reginald locked the door behind him and waited with bated breath.

The fight raged on outside, but no guards appeared to have noticed the two men ducking into the house. Red crept out from her hiding spot, shifting into her human form, and adjusting her robes.

“What happened?” she asked cautiously as she approached them, the worst of her dizziness fading as she focused on the two Toppats.

Reginald glanced back at her, still on edge. “His defensive wards were broken by a shield bash.”

She made a noise in sympathy as she fished around her robes. She pulled out a potion bottle and handed it to Wright. Both men were surprised by the sight of the potion.

Reginald looked at the potion, then up at her. Wright grimaced as he accepted the offered potion, unscrewed the glass lid, and downed its contents.

“Thanks.” Wright grunted already looking more alert.

“If you need more, just ask,” Red said. “I can always make more.”

“You’re an alchemist?” Reginald asked.

“I picked up a few things at The Wall.” She replied.

Reginald was quiet for a moment. “We… could use your talents in the clan, we lost our healers some time ago...”

“We got a job to do, we’ll discuss this later.” Wright said as he got up.

The three of them avoided the frontlines, breaking into houses, stores and took whatever gold and valuables they could carry.

Something exploded.

The three of them moved to an open doorway and peered out to see what was going on. Maniacal laughter could b heard as the dust cleared and Terrence stepped out of the cloud of dust.

His grin was vicious as he held a golden staff. The staff had glowing black runes carved down its length and a black crystal set into the claw shaped top of the magical weapon. The Toppat King loosed a bolt of black energy from his weapon of choice towards the busiest part of the battlefield. Guards and Toppats alike were caught in the blast, Terrence only caring for his immediate victory, and Red heard Reginald suck in a breath in horror at it all.

“His own men are in there!” Red hissed. “The hells is he thinking?”

“ _We can always recruit more_ …” Wright quoted bitterly.

“We need to help them, everyone, with me.” Reginald commanded as he led the way.

As their ruler ran rampant, the small band retrieved as many of their wounded as they could, Red’s seemingly endless supply of potions and elixirs proving to be a boon to the clan and saving countless lives.

**Author's Note:**

> Glossary  
> Terralia: Basically Australia, but magic  
> Furhide: Basically werebeasts (werewolves and the like)


End file.
